Food insecurity is on the rise. To fight it, Fairfield County's Community Foundation has launched an emergency food security fund.

Mendi Blue Paca, the president and CEO of the nonprofit, said the fund was created because of the federal policy changes they've seen in the past year. The emergency fund will give support to other organizations that help people, like food banks, churches, schools or even hospitals.

According to DataHaven, more than 11,000 families in Fairfield County stand to lose some or all of their SNAP benefits due to new federal policy changes.

"It enables them to do anything from staffing to sourcing food and frankly, anything that will allow them to get food in the hands of people who need it," Paca said.

To support the Fairfield County Food Security Fund, you can make a donation, support local hunger-relief nonprofits directly, contribute to FCCF’s Community Impact Fund or advocate to protect programs that keep families fed.

"We have a strong belief at the foundation that when our neighbors are food insecure and when our neighbors, frankly, don't have any of their basic needs met, that diminishes all of us," Paca said.

For more information or to make a gift, click here.